Okami 2: Blood Red Dawn
by Wings-from-Below
Summary: After being critically wounded and her powers stolen, Amaterasu is transformed into a human and sent back down to earth while the Celestial Plains are consumed by darkness, casting a shadow over the very sun itself. 4 years post game
1. Perlude to Dawn

An: Welcome to my first Okami fan fic. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I like writing it. Just as a warning I probably won't upload the next chapter for a while, end of January, due to school craziness. So I'll shut up for the people who actually read the author's note so you can start the story.

Wings-from-Below is proud to present:

**Okami 2: Blood Red Dawn**

_**Chapter 1**: **Prelude to Dawn**_

Only a crescent moon hung heavily in the sky to light the way for Yumigami as she hopped along the dirt path. The grass carpet of the celestial plains was covered in morning dew and silk spider webs clung like lace to the surrounding trees. A thin layer of mist hung in the air, a reminder of the coming rainy season. Though she longed to take her time and enjoy the awaking world, Yumigami knew that time wasn't on her side. She, being the goddess of the moon, had certain responsibilities to fulfill which included more than just the rising and setting of the moon. No, her duties only stopped once the sun crested the horizon and dawn once again graced the land. Noting how the moon, her moon, had begun its decent from the heavens the white rabbit increased her pace; she couldn't afford to be late. Shifting the weight of her wooden mallet to her other shoulder and with a twitch of her velvet nose Yumigami ran towards the home of the sun.

To the east of the moon goddess another creature began to stir. A female mosquito sat perched atop a cold stone rubbing the sleep from her delicate wings with her back most legs. She twisted her head first to the left then to the right searching the air for that familiar scent. There was only one thought on her mind: blood. The sweet scent of the warm liquid mixed with the sticky breath of its owner created a trail for the hungry insect to follow leading her right to her prey. Within minutes she found herself upon her sleeping prey's skin. As softly as she could the mosquito ran her needle like nose across the being's flesh creating a small cut that oozed blood. Quickly she trusted her tongue deep into the cut mixing her spit with the blood to prevent it from clotting. She lapped at the rich liquid drinking her fill until her abdomen looked like it would bust. Suddenly a dark shadow loomed above her swollen body. Withdrawing her tongue from the cut she looked up towards the sky in complete terror.

Amaterasu lazily swatted a mosquito away from her nose. She sighed not bothering to open her eyes. The last fragments of her dream still lingered in her thoughts. Issun had been juggling the different forms of Yami while singing about girls. The wolf mentally reminder herself to lay off the sweets before going to sleep. She sighed again and rolled over to lay on her right side facing away from the opening of her cave. She still found it hard to believe four years had passed since she and Issun had defeated the dark lord. Though she couldn't see her earthbound friends, Ammy could feel their love and caring for her through the prayers that entered the Celestial Plains. As she lay there Ammy tried to picture the face of each of her friends. There was Issun of course, Sakuya, Susano and Kushi; the list went on. Ammy felt her eyes begin to water and her heart ache at the thought of never hearing the voices of her friends again.

"Are you not up yet?" came an aspirated voice from the mouth of the cave. Ammy swivelled her head until she could see the owner of the voice. The moon goddess stood at the entrance looking tired and wet. "I swear," she stated, "one of these days the sun will have to learn to rise without you Amaterasu."

Ammy smiled sheepishly knowing her sister goddess was only teasing. "Well I wish hurry up and learn already." she retorted while rising to her paws. "Then I could finally sleep in." This got her a snort of amusement from the rabbit. The sun goddess let out a yawn and stretched her front paws while arching her back. She shook her head trying to forget the sadness from before and grabbed a bottle of ink off the floor. For a moment her eyes lingered on her green reflector debating whether or not to bring it with her. No, she thought this wasn't like on earth where monsters were always waiting to attack. It was hard to let old habits die, but she knew she had to let go of the past at some point. "Okay let's get this show on the road." She said under her breath. Ammy laughed as she bounced out the opening of the cave. "What are you waiting for slowpoke?" she called behind her to the rabbit goddess. Yumigami could only roll her eyes at the wolf before quickly following her lead.

xxxxx

It wasn't until the two reached Mother Hill that Yumigami caught up to the long legged wolf. For a few minutes the two sat side by side in silence taking in the breathtaking view from the top of the hill. Pink cherry trees dotted the landscape mixing with the green pine trees. There were wildflowers in every colour of the rainbow covering the ground where the grass didn't. Off in the distance the silver tile roof of the Moon Palace was visible over the mountains that held the last traces of snow.

"I wish they could see this." The wolf spoke so quietly that Yumigami almost missed it. The rabbit didn't have to ask who "they" were, Amaterasu was forever referring to the adventures she had had down on earth. The rabbit shifted her gaze from the scenery to look up at her companion. The wolf's golden eyes were glazed over seeing a past memory and not the landscape. The rabbit's heart went out to her sister knowing that she herself could never understand how Amaterasu felt. Ammy noticed her sister looking at her worriedly and put on a forced smile, trying to reassure the rabbit that she was fine. Yumigami pretended to smile back but she knew that neither one of them thought it was real.

"Well I better get to work before you start harassing me again." Ammy joked sounding more like her old self. Yumigami took a step back to give the wolf more room. Ammy grabbed the ink bottle that had been sitting on the ground beside her with her mouth and tossed high into the air. Quicker than human eyes could focus, Ammy performed a power slash on the bottle, uncorking it. Before the bottle got to touch the ground the white wolf dipped her ink stained tail into the bottle then turning in a tight circle to catch the bottle all in one fluid movement. The word 'show-off' came to Yumigami's mind but she kept her mouth shut.

After setting the ink bottle gently down Ammy muttered a prayer under her breath as she looked up towards the dark sky. She raised her tail and used it like a paintbrush drawing a perfect circle in the sky. The second the circle was whole it began to glow. The light was weak at first growing steadily stronger until the light was so bright it obliterated the ink lines that had confined the light. There in the sky where the goddess had painted the circle was the sun in all its glory. Ammy sat back down beside her sister goddess her thoughts once again returning to her friends. It was at that moment that something happened that had never happened before. Lost in her dark thoughts Amaterasu failed to notice a single drop of black ink drip from her tail. The ink landed in her shadow staying on the surface of the ground for only a moment before working its way into the dirt. There is sulked and festered until its darkness couldn't be contain within the ground alone. Slowly it began to seep and ooze from the ground behind the great wolf goddess.

Yumigami noticed the blob of ink first her red eyes growing huge at the sight. Ammy half laughed at the rabbit's expression wondering if she was trying to cheer the wolf up again. Playing along Ammy turned around only to find this was no joke. By then the blob had begun to take shape. The first recognizable part was the legs, then a head sprouted from between its shoulders the ink pulling forward to form a slender muzzle. Twin pointed canine ears congealed on the top of the ink creature's head and a long tail splashed out from the body. It was the eyes thought that captivated Amaterasu the most. They were an exact copy of her golden ones.

The shadow wolf moved towards the two goddesses dripping blood like ink with each step. Its gaze never left Ammy. The two began circling each shifting into an attack stance. "Yumi," Ammy said calmly never taking her eyes off the strange wolf, "I want you to go warn the others." The moon goddess started to shake her head no, but the white wolf cut her off. "Don't argue with me. I can handle this myself. Go NOW!" The tone of Amaterasu's voice got her going, running like she hadn't been up all night. Ammy watch her dash over the top of an adjacent hill out of the corner of her eye, making sure the rabbit didn't try to intervene.

The black wolf let out a low growl, demanding Ammy's full attention. The ink creature lunged forward aiming for her throat. Ammy dodged to the right missing the snapping teeth by a hair's length. The goddess whipped her tail around using the remaining ink on her tail to perform a power slash. The cut went straight through the dark wolf's midsection, slicing its body in two. Shocked eyes looked at Ammy accusingly as the two halves slumped to the ground creating large black puddles on the ground. Ammy relaxed her body glad that the fight hadn't been as hard as she feared. She turned away from the puddles wondering how she could clean them up. Sadly she had underestimated her foe.

In a flash the puddles reformed its ink body and the dark wolf leaped onto Ammy's back digging it's fangs into her soft neck. A cry of pain escaped her mouth as the wolf tackled her to the ground. The black wolf ranked its claws deep into her skin trying to reach Ammy's golden eyes, its eyes. It kept biting and tearing at her flesh, staining her white coat red. Ammy flailed around desperate to escape the murderous wolf, yet every time she struck out with her claws and teeth the wound they made would instantly heal itself. Slowly Amaterasu found herself growing tired and weak. She made one last ditch attempt to get away from the demon wolf and managed to break free from its grasp and use her tail to create a gust of wind, blowing the black wolf away and giving her time to rest. Ammy lay there with her sides heaving trying to get enough air into her broken body. By looking down at all the blood she had lost Ammy knew she couldn't hold out much longer. She watched with saddened eyes as the black wolf regained its balance, wishing that she could have seen her friends one last time before her death. She turned her head away from her attacked waiting for it to finish her off.

The black demon felt her sadness and defeat letting a wicked smile slide across its face. The ink creature practically danced with amusement knowing the perfect way to kill the thing in front of the black wolf. Copying Amaterasu from earlier the black wolf created a power slash of its own. When it had tasted the god's blood it had accidentally stolen her brush powers, becoming a god itself. It sneered watching her eyes grow even larger in shock.

Ammy braced herself waiting for the power slash to collide with her bleeding body, but it never came. She reopened her eyes surprised to find a blond haired man standing in front of her. Waka had been lucky, he'd seen a vision of the moon goddess sprinting off for help and had been close enough to hear Ammy's cry of pain. What he hadn't expected to see was his white friend in such bad shape knowing she was close to bleeding out and losing consciousness. The weak sun goddess tried to get to her feet but was far to dizzy to stay standing for long. She slumped to the ground and didn't get back up. Waka knew he had to act fast.

Quickly unsheathing his sword, Pillow Talk, he sliced the black wolf in half yet again. He had seen in his vision what the result was the first time, but this time he wasn't trying to kill the demon; he was buying them valuable time to put his plan in action. Waka bent down and scooped Ammy into his arms, cradling her beaten body. She was out cold which scared the prophet more than he would like to admit. He could tell that her powers had left her body and entered the other wolf's; the red markings had left Ammy's body. He had to save her.

It took Waka only minutes to reach the Gazing Pond, a secret spot that not even the gods knew about. The pond served as a link between worlds but it was a one way trip. The pond only transported individuals from the heavens down to Earth. Waka began chanting the prayer that activated the pond. Once the portal had fully opened he bent once more and picked the wolf up in his arms. "I'm sorry that I have to do this baby, but it's to protect you from that demon." Waka leaned his face towards hers and placed a light kiss on the wolf's forehead, then gently let her slide from his arms into the water. "Au revoir, ma chérie." he said as Waka watched the white wolf slowly descend towards earth. The water reflected the black sky. The demon wolf had covered the sky in a layer of black ink hiding the sun so it looked like storm clouds blanketed the sky. Waka sighed and walked away from the pool knowing it would be a long time before he saw Amaterasu again. "Good luck my friend. You'll need it." he muttered under his breath as he prepared to face the black wolf once again.

An: So what do ou think? Ideas? Questions? Comments? I love reviews, so I can better the story.


	2. Fallen from Grace

AN: Wow, I haven't posted anything in a long LONG time. Sorry 'bout that. I wanted to add more to this chapter but found that it ended well and couldn't think up what to put next. Please bear with me cause I really don't know when the next update will be and R&R please.

Chapter 2: Fallen from Grace

Lika's bare feet sunk into the soft mud as she headed towards the outskirts of the small village. Spring had finally returned to Wep'keer bringing with it the promise of growth. All around the young Oina child the world was waking up from its long winter slumber. Above her head the once barren trees now sported tiny green buds which colourful birds and furry squirrels ran through. Lika was enjoying the freedom that came with spring. She had grown considerably in the four years since the defeat of the twin owl demons and the wolf goddess's return to the heavens. Lika let her mind drift back to the days she had spent with the goddess who had rescued her from Orochi after she had traveled back in time. At the time Lika hadn't understood why she could feel the goddess's presence even before she was in sight. Whenever Amaterasu was within a certain range Lika had seen a red glow. Now after being trained to become a priestess she knew that she had been seeing a God's Aura. Lika sighed and continued up the path that lead to the lake where the ark of Yamato used to reside.

Kai watched as her younger sister headed off in the direction of Ezofuji. Lately Lika had become restless often taking long walks by herself. Kai wasn't sure if her sister even realized she was acting strange. Lika had also taken to visiting Oki who still lived outside of the village. He claimed that he preferred to be alone when he was training, but Kai knew deep down he looked forward to her sister's visits. Though Lika never talked about what the two of them did together, Kai didn't question the odd friendship knowing that the warrior would never harm the young girl. Sparing one last glance in the direction Lika had gone Kai returned to sweeping the front step of their wooden hut, marking the start of her spring cleaning.

Lika had to push the large wooden door that led to the lake with all her strength. The bottom part of the door was still stuck in the thawing ground making it hard to move. She shifted her feet burying them deeper into the mud to steady herself before giving the door one last shove. There was a loud snapping sound as the door flew open causing the young girl to stumble forwards and fall hands first into the wet mud. She cursed lightly under her breath then scolded herself. Clearly she had been spending too much time around a certain foul-mouthed warrior. Lika tried to clean most of the mud off her skin, using some left over snow from winter to wash it from her hands and knees. She wasn't looking forward to going home and having Kai scold her for getting so dirty. After a few minutes of trying to get the stains out of her kimono she groaned and gave up. Lika moved her masked gaze from her now soiled clothing towards the stone altar that stood before the lake. She had made it a habit to visit it regularly often times praying to the gods just to feel connected to them. But as her eyes found the similar structure they widen in shock and a scream ripped from her lips.

"What the hell was that?" Samickle asked Kai as he whipped his head in the direction of the scream.

"That's Lika, I know it is." Kai clenched her broom tighter in her hands as fear filled her veins making them run cold. "I have to go help her!" Samickle grabbed Kai around the waist and held her there as she tried to make a break for her sister. "What are you doing?" Kai screamed in frustration "Let me go to her!"

Samickle shook his head. "No Kai, I don't want you to get hurt too, just stay here, please." The large man waited a moment until Kai nodded her consent before letting go of her shaking form. Then suddenly out of the corner of his eye Samickle saw Oki running up the path to the village with a murderous look in his eyes. The Oina warrior didn't stop running as he passed the two on his way to Lika. "Don't worry Kai, we'll protect Lika and bring her back." Samickle called over his shoulder to the worried older sister as he ran to catch up to Oki "I promise we will." The two vanished out of her sight as Kai broke down in front of her hut crying harder than she had in four years.

xxxxx

Kemu woke with a start causing his head to jerk upwards from where it had been resting on his chest. "That smarts" he mumbled under his breath silently cursing his old age as he rubbed his sore neck. Kemu rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn before reposition himself against the evergreen tree he had fallen asleep under. Vaguely he could recall that something had woken him but he couldn't remember what. Kemu scratched his large stomach and closed his eyes. No one would miss him for another few minutes. Then he heard it again and knew that that was the sound that had awoken him. Kemu turned his head to the north towards where the scream had come from and felt a cold shiver run up his spine. Shifting his gaze up to the heavens he muttered, "There are some dark days coming huh." He watched from his vantage point on the hill where the tree stood as two figures, one tall and blue and the other shorter and more purple in colour, raced towards the lake. Then knowing that he wouldn't be getting much sleep after today, he shifted his raccoon mask and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

xxxxx


	3. Gathering Shadows

AN: Happy New Year everyone! In celebration of 2011 I've uploaded the third chapter yay. Before you start the story I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favourited the story so far. It means a lot to me. I've replied to some of the comments from the first and second chapters below. Also I don't think I put a disclaimer in the first two chapters. So guess what guys, I don't actually own Okami or anything that has to do with the game. The only thing I do own is my imagination that helped to create the story you're reading now. Hope you guys enjoy.

**Blood Red Dawn: An Okami fan fiction**

Chapter 3: _Gathering Shadows_

Oki was having a hard time keeping his racing heart in his chest as he pounded up the hillside leading to the base of the mountain. Samickle was following close on his heels. The Oina warrior's mind was quickly filling with horrid thought about what they would find once he and Samickle reached their goal. He still had nightmares of Lika's unconscious form lying on the back of Orochi, the evil eight headed beast which he had helped Amaterasu defeat, or he liked to think he did, one hundred years in the past. Oki shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. All he had to focus on now was getting to the young girl. In two huge strides Oki transformed into his wolf form and from the corner of his eye he saw that Samickle had done the same. The two never spoke as they reached the already ajar wooden gate but both were sending a prayer up to the heavens that they would get there in time.

xxxxx

"There that should do it." Issun mumbled to himself as he looked over the finished piece of art. The canvas depicted a thoughtful looking Amaterasu by Watcher's Cape. Issun studied the painting then set his brush down decided it was in fact truly finished. The little Poncle hopped over to the edge of the cape and looked down at the calm waters of the Ryoshima Coast. "Man, this place just ain't the same without ya Ammy." Issun sighed as he looked at the reflection of the sun on the water. "I can't believe it's been four years already." he said while still looking at the reflection. It made Issun feel like he was still connected to the sun goddess. The warmth from the sun reminded the little Poncle of Ammy's fur and how he used to snuggle down into it when the weather turned bad up in the mountains. "But that was then and this is now." Issun reminded himself out loud half hoping if he said it he might start believing the truth. He couldn't sleep in Amaterasu's white fur anymore because she had gone back to the Celestial Plains. "And you ain't ever coming back are ya?" Issun asked the sun just as a wave came making the reflection bob up and down like it was nodding. "Ha, that's just like you," the Poncle chuckled to himself, "was that suppose to be a yes or a no?" This time the reflection didn't offer a reply.

For a while after that the Poncle just lay in the grass with his eyes closed enjoying the feel of the sun on his body. Issun let his mind wander back to his adventures with the sun goddess. He stilled remembered the first time they wolf after he popped out of Sakuya's kimono. More memories filled Issun's head like the time he and Ammy saved the Emperor from Blight, a monster living inside the man, or the time when they had to track down all of the Canine Warriors. Issun could have spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about the past. He probably would have done just that if it wasn't for the dull pain that started in his chest. At first the Poncle chose to ignore it but pretty soon the pain began to intensify. Issun sat up hoping that the pain would subside. "I don't understand," he began to ask while staring at his hands but the question died on his lips as he felt a the sun's warmth disappear. Issun shot his gaze upwards just in time to see a cloud pass over the sun. This was like no cloud he had ever seen before; the thing seemed to ooze and flow liked spilled black ink. He watched in morbid fascination as more clouds materialized from the first slowing covering the sky. As the clouds grew the light from the once strong sun began to dim until the land looked like it was covered in twilight instead of being the middle of the afternoon. "God Ammy what's going on up there?" Issun whispered as he realized the pain he had felt earlier hadn't belonged to him at all.

xxxxx

"Lika, where are you!" Samickle called out as the two warriors reached Laochi Lake. He scanned the landscape looking for the little girl. Samickle shifted back to his human form in order to see over the many boulders that dotted the land. "There," he yelled up to Oki who was standing on top of a boulder still in his wolf form "she's by the dais." Samickle began sprinting towards where he had seen Lika's hunched over form.

Oki paused as he went to follow carefully sniffing the air. "I smell blood." he mumbled to himself as he hopped off the boulder and ran after the quickly disappearing Samickle. The scent was a familiar one.

The sight that met Samickle's eyes was both relieving and terrifying. Lika was kneeling on the stone dais crying softly. "Lika what's wrong?" he asked the girl worriedly. She turned towards the sound of Samickle's voice and for the first time the warrior noticed the amount of blood on her clothes.

Most of her kimono was now stained red instead of its usual green. Blood dripped from her hands and there was a smear of the red liquid on her mask where she had pushed away a strand of hair. "You have to help her." Lika said pleadingly. A gust of spring wind blew yet another lock of her messy hair into her face which she brushed away absentmindedly leaving yet another blood trail on her mask. "I don't know what to do."

"Her?" Samickle asked questioningly. He looked past Lika and for the first time noticed the still form that was lying on the dais. Lika stepped to the side so he and Oki, who had just reached the two of them, could get past. A young woman lay in a pool of her own blood on the cold stone. Her black hair fanned out around her head like an aura. A white wolf pelt was the only garment that she wore twisted around her body like a sheet does when you toss and turn in bed. Her pale skin was covered in goosebumps, though spring had come to the mountains the air still held the cold bite of winter, and she was shaking though whether it was from the cold or from the blood loss Samickle wasn't sure. "We need to get her inside before she freezes to death. Oki you take the girl and Lika back to the village while I go fetch Tuskle." Samickle ordered knowing Kia would be worried about her younger sister if she didn't return soon. "Take them to Kemu's house and I'll meet you there. Oki?" Samickle asked the other warrior to make sure he was listening.

Oki grunted his response as he lifted the strange woman into his arms. Her head rolled as Oki tried to shift her weight to a more comfortable position. She was lighter than what he had expected and her breathing was shallow. Oki placed his hand on her forehead feeling the heat of a strong fever. This is bad he thought to himself as he started back to the village with Lika close behind. Lika was deep in thought hoping that the stranger would pull through. So it came as no surprise that neither of them noticed the black clouds that were gathering around the sun's dying light.

xxxxx

At first there was only darkness. Slowing little pinpricks of light appeared in the black world. Ammy felt like she was floating in the night sky. She lifted her paw towards the lights and lazily connected the dots to form familiar constellations. There was Tachigami with her sword and Nuregami nestled in her glass bottle. Ammy snickered as she traced Bakugami being chased by the piglets. After a while Ammy found Yumigami who didn't look too happy even as a constellation. The sun goddess tired to remember what the rabbit would be mad about but couldn't think of anything she had wrong this morning.

As soon as the thought popped into her head Amaterasu's body began to fall from the night sky. As she plummeted through the darkness memories of her fight with the shadow beast came flooding back. She had dropped her guard only to have it attack her from behind. Slowing the wounds she had received from the dark creature began to reappear on her body. There were hundreds of them and more kept coming until her breath came in short gasps from the amount of pain her body was in. It felt like her bones were breaking, reforming then breaking yet again. Ammy tried to howl but no sound passed from her lips. The stars around her began to dim and blur as she fell ever faster towards the endless blackness. Somehow Ammy knew that if the stars completely vanished then she would as well.

It was with that realization when Ammy felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her broken body and stop her decent. A familiar scent hung in the arm around the wolf goddess but she was too tired to remember the source. All Ammy cared about at that moment was the smell was a safe, comforting one. With the feeling of protection Ammy allowed her body to relax. Though the pain was definitely still there it was easier to ignore and slowing Ammy closed her bloodshot eyes and fell into a deep, healing sleep.

xxxxx

AN: I wonder what's going to happen next? Sorry, I was going to make the chapter longer, but this seemed like the right spot to stop. Again, thanks for reading and please leave a review if you want something fixed or have ideas for what should happen next. I like all kinds of feedback.

**Responses to Reviews time:**

**Bray**: Yeah Ammy probably should have lasted longer against the ink monster, but she didn't have a weapon and wasn't expecting it to get back up. Another problem is that the ink monster is suppose to be a being that came from Ammy thus holds some of her memories like fighting skills. I'll explain more in later chapters.

**krourou2**: Thank you so much for helping me organize the story and for the good advice. All of the questions you asked are what I need to focus on. Hope you like what happens next.

**DayDreamer95**: Sorry about the mix up between "Kai" and "Kia". I went back and fixed it in the last chapter. I think what messes me up is both versions pop up as actual words on Word, unlike all the other names, so I don't notice when it's wrong. Thanks for pointing it out.

And finally a big thanks to everyone else that reviewed. Please continue to do so.


	4. Growing Pains

AN: What's this? A new chapter?!

_I don't own Okami or anything associated with it_

Chapter 4: Growing Pains

Ammy jolted awake; her heart hammering against her ribcage trying to escape her chest in its panic. It took a few seconds for it to click that she wasn't falling anymore. The feeling of solid ground beneath her body had a soothing effect on her racing heart. Ammy blinked a few times trying to clear her blurry vision and sighed audibly when it failed. Though her eyes were out of focus she could still make out the wooden walls of her room and door flap from where she lay. _I must be in someone's hut_ she thought to herself warily, _though I don't remember any huts on the Plain_. Her body tensed at the thought. On the plain everyone slept in caves or out in the open since there was no demons to bother them. An involuntary shiver went through her causing the rough wool blanket covering her to slip down a bit. She shivered again but this time because of the cold then stiffen as another thought came to her. The Celestial Plain is never cold. Unlike Nippon where she had experienced different seasons, the Plain was stuck in suspended state of early summer. Which meant she wasn't on the Plain anymore.

Ammy lay there in shock. How could that be? She decided to tuck the idea away, now wasn't the time to mull over the "why" but rather the "where". If she really was back on Earth that meant that she could be in danger. Maybe demons had captured her and brought her here though it seemed unlikely since she wasn't tied up. Then again maybe whoever had brought her here was in disguise like Rao and didn't tie her up as to avoid suspicion, and Kami forbid her savior be like the Cutters. Her nostrils flared as she tried to pick up the scent of the owner of the hut, but all she could smell was the lingering scent of wood smoke. She listened for movement but after not hearing any decided it was time to move. Ammy rolled onto her side and attempted to stand but suddenly something black fell into her still blurry eyes. Startled she jumped to her feet uttering a small growl towards the black stuff still clouding her vision. Ammy shook herself trying to get rid of the strange black thing which still remained attached to her head. Whatever it was had moved enough so she could see through it and since it didn't pose an immediate threat she decided to deal with it later. Right now she needed to know what she was up against. Whatever had brought her to Earth had to be powerful and could be lurking right on the other side of the door flap.

With her vision finally beginning to clear she took a tentative step forward towards the door, and nearly toppled over. Something was wrong with her back legs they weren't bending the right way or far enough for that matter. Then again her back legs were also too long making her back slope down towards her head which was rather uncomfortable. She swung her head around to survey the offending appendages; the black stuff getting in her way again with the quick movement. What she saw was confusing. There appeared to be white cloth wrapped loosely around her body creating a cage around her legs, the cause of their restricted movements. Ammy realized that the cloth was what the females in Nippon wore since they lacked fur to keep warm. Ammy grinned at the absurdity of a wolf, let alone a wolf goddess, wearing human clothes. A kimono is what Issun had called it. She tried to take another step still grinning about the white kimono. The grin died when she looked down at her paws to steady herself and found human hands. From somewhere Ammy heard a scream, too shocked to recognize it as her own. It was then that the door flap moved revealing a tall masked figure.

xxxxx

It had been three days since Lika had found the strange woman on the stone dais. Oki sat on one of the many mats that littered the floor of his hut. Though his eyes were focused on the fish that was roasting on a stick by the fire, his mind was miles away. There was something about that woman that bothered him but he wasn't sure what it was. Every time he thought he had finally trapped the idea it managed to slip from his grasp like mist. It frustrated Oki keeping him up long into the night as he paced his hut trying to recall the elusive memory. After three days of poor sleep he was thankful for the mask that hid the black half moons under his eyes. He sighed bringing his wandering mind back to the present in time to realize that the fish was burning.

Lika could smell something burning even before she entered the hut. "Oki I think you..." her voice trailed off as her gaze fell on the Oina warrior whose head hung in shame from the blacken fish that he held in his hand. _He looks like he could grow mushrooms in a corner right now_,Lika giggled to herself at the thought of Oki with mushrooms growing on his head. She walked over to where Oki sat and crouched down beside him turning her head so she was facing him. "Kia always scolds me when I burn the fish." Oki grunted still staring at the ruined fish. Suddenly Lika grabbed the fish from Oki's hand and stood up making sure that she had the warrior's attention for what she needed to tell him. "The woman woke up."

That got Oki's attention. "When?" He didn't mean for his tone to sound as demanding as it did but Lika took no notice. She was use to Oki's ways by now after spending many hours with the warrior. She knew that he became very focused when he cared about something or someone. "About an hour ago. Apparently the woman screamed and Tuskle ran in to check on her which scared her even more. Can't say I blame her though what with us wearing masks." Lika smiled behind her mask as she remembered Samickle putting up a fuss about not being allowed inside of his own home after he had come to check was the commotion was all about. "Tuskle said that she's calmer now so people can visit. I figured you'd want to know cause you've been worried right?" It was Oki's turn to smile. The little girl beside him knew him well. He nodded his head; finally he might get the answers to his questions.

xxxxx

Ammy took some shaky breaths trying to calm herself and ran her fingers across her face for about the hundredth time. It was a strange sensation. Her face was flat and her petit nose dry instead of wet which explained why she couldn't smell anyone earlier. Ammy looked up as Tuskle entered the room with a tray of tea cups. She handed one to Ammy, who held it awkwardly in her hands, then said "I expect most of the village will be in here when the word spreads that you're awake." The older woman smiled at her patient. She was a strange girl, who looked to be about the same age as Kai, behaving almost feral at times. The younger woman had even growled at Tuskle when she had come rushing into the room following the scream though she calmed down quickly enough. Tuskle had the oddest sensation that she and the girl had met before but knew it to be impossible. Not many travelled to Wep'keer and so far none of the villagers had recognized her.

A knock came from the outside the large hut. "See? What did I tell you." Tuskle joked as she rose to get the door. Samickle was the first inside, which didn't surprise her since she had kicked him out earlier, followed by Kai and Kemu. She gestured for them to sit in the large room by the fire as Tuskle went to fetch the younger woman from the other room. "Come the others are waiting in the other room." she said to Ammy as she helped her to her feet. Ammy had no idea how to use her new legs so Tuskle, assuming the girl was just weak after her fever, kept a firm grip on her as they stumbled out to the main room.

Ammy was met with the three familiar masks as they entered the larger room. She felt relieved to know she was safe among friends. _Though they wouldn't know me looking like this_ Ammy mused to herself as Tuskle sat her on a mat on the far side of the fire so she could face everyone. The silence was broken my Kemu stating, "We're glad to see you up and about my dear, you had us pretty worried by how long you were out for." Ammy cocked her head to the side questioningly though it was Samickle who answered.

"Three days." the warrior stated a bit coolly, which earned him a nudge from Kai who sat beside him.

The young Oina woman then shifted her attention to Ammy. "And you are welcome to stay for as long you like." Samickle sighed at Kai's words but knew there was no use arguing with her.

Samickle cleared his throat and asked what everyone was thinking, "So who are you and what were you doing at the base of Effuizo?" Everyone in the room looked at Ammy with baited breaths. Ammy opened her mouth then closed it again. What **was** she doing by the lake? The last thing she remembered was Yumi coming to wake her, then drawing the sun, and then?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lika and Oki entering the hut. "Did we miss the story?" Lika asked as she realized everyone had beat them there. Kai smiled at her sister and held out her hands that the little girl took as she sat beside her sister. "We just started" Kai reassured her while stroking her hair.

Oki still stood in the doorway looking at the stranger the door ajar behind him. Ammy looked up from her thinking and their eyes met. He felt like the answer to why she stirred his memory was locked away in her golden eyes. So lost in thought was he that he nearly jumped when she gasped and pointed at him. "Me?" he said questioningly as he pointed a finger to his chest, his heart racing. She vigorously shook her head and his heart sank. He looked behind him at the open door "Outside?" he asked again and this time she nodded. The black haired woman tried to stand but was too shaky and Tuskle and Samickle caught her between them before she fell. "She wants to go outside." Oki concluded.

"But she hasn't even told us who she is yet." Samickle complained as he tried to get the girl to sit back down. It was a losing battle. _Women_ he thought to himself. "What if she runs off? She might be in league with some demons."

"She looks upset though" Kai joined in. "Why can't we let her?"

"I'm just afraid that her fever will come back if she goes outside. The air still has a bite to it and it's been looking like rain for days now." Tuskle voiced her own concerns and Samickle was glad that someone had finally backed him up.

Oki argued back, "But look at her she's desperate to get out there." He pointed to Ammy who was still struggling to make her way to the door. The debate went back and forth some more until Kemu put an end to it.

"Let her go." he said calmly from where he sat. Everyone went quiet and listened to their Elder as he gave directions. "Oki you carry her out and Samickle will go with you encase she tries to run off though she can barely stand." He added the last bit under his breath and Lika who sat closest giggled slightly.

Oki walked across the room to where Ammy sat; her gaze never leaving him as he bent over and scooped her up in his arms. She was impatient to go hoping her fear was wrong. The two warriors left the hut and Ammy nearly cried out in horror when she looked up her fears confirmed. The sky was covered in think dark clouds. Ammy pointed towards the sky hoping to convey her question. Oki noticed her pointing and looked at her puzzled, "What? The sky?" Ammy scrunched up her nose and tried again this time using her hands to make cloud shapes.

"The weather? Rain?" Samickle asked from beside them and Oki turned so Ammy could see the other warrior. Again she signaled no. "Then what?" he asked a little frustrated.

"She means the clouds." Both men turned towards Lika who had followed them outside. Ammy nodded then whined in hopes the girl could tell her more but the girl held her tongue. Amy sighed and allowed herself to be brought back inside. Oki sat her back down on her mat and Samickle decided to continue the questioning.

"You still haven't told us your name or where you're from" he was growing tired of this. Ammy thought for a moment then began to make intricate gestures. "You can't talk can you?" the Oina warrior guessed and Ammy shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Alright then charades it is. Let's start with your name." Ammy nodded and gestured up towards the ceiling and drew a circle with lines around it.

"Is it a flower?" Kai guessed and Ammy shook her head and repeated the action but this time drawing clouds as well.

"The sky!" Lika said excitedly and Ammy clapped her hand to show that she was on the right track.

"So a name that has something to do with the sky" Kemu mused from his mat. "Why don't we list some off and see if we can't guess."

"What about Sora or Sukai?" Tuskle asked.

"Kumo means cloud." Lika said thinking of before.

"Is it Aoi, blue?" Samickle guessed and Kai gave him a glare "Not everything is blue." She stated pointing to his attire "What?" He said defensively. "I was thinking like blue sky. You come up with something better." Kai took this to be a challenge and started listing off all the names she could think of. "Taiyo? Koku? Tsuki? Arashi?" she asked. "That last one was a boy's name." Samickle pointed out and Kai gave him a good shove.

To all of these Ammy shook her head to say no. the former wolf didn't really expect them to guess her true name but she wanted something that at least sounded similar. Oki, who had remained quiet up to that point then spoke up. "What about Amami? Ama means heavens and mi means beautiful." He was glad that his reddening face was hidden behind a mask. Ammy thought about it for a second then nodded her head. Close enough she thought to herself and though she hated to admit it she did like the meaning behind the name.

"Next where are you from?" Samickle wasted no time with the next question. Ammy was going to have a harder time explaining this one. She quickly made the decision not to tell them she was from the Celestial Plain, it would be too hard to explain the rest. Ammy had noticed a map earlier when it had just been her and Tuskle to which she now gestured to. Samickle caught on quick and got up and took the map from its place on the wall bringing it over to where she sat. Ammy didn't hesitate in pointing to Kamiki Village. It was where her original adventure had started after all. Plus Ammy was secretly hoping that Sakuya, the tree spirit, could help her with destroying the ink wolf. "That's pretty far away." Samickle mused as he looked to where she was pointing. "Don't suppose you could tell us why you're so far from home?" Ammy shook her head and the blue warrior sighed. Since the now named Amami couldn't speak he figured this would have to do.

"All right I think it's time we let Amami get some rest. Is it alright if she continues to use your house Samickle?" Tuskle asked and the man gave his consent. Ever since her strange arrival the Oina warrior had practically traded houses with the healer so Tuskle could watch over Amami. After everyone left Tuskle helped Ammy back to her bedroll and settled herself in for the night.

xxxxx

It was well past the middle of the night when Ammy heard someone enter the house. She sat up and strained her ears for the sound of footsteps. They were faint and she noted that there was only the one pair. Tuskle's snoring from the other room told her it wasn't the healer. The footsteps were quickly coming in her direction and Ammy briefly considered going to light a lantern to make up for her weak human eyes. The decision was made for her when the door flap moved and a small shadow entered her room. "Amami?" a small voice called out and Ammy was surprised to recognize Lika's voice coming from the shadow. Ammy hummed a little to let the girl know she was up then stood up from the bed to go light that lantern. The two weeks she had already spent in the village had strengthen her legs so she could now walk unaided abided that she did stub her toes a lot. She returned to her bed lit lantern in hand to find the small Oina child already there. Ammy cocked her head to the side silently asking Lika why the late night visit. The young girl hesitated for a moment then burst into tears. "Oh Amami it's all my fault!" Lika sobbed wrapping her arms around a surprised Ammy. "I should have told them about the clouds to begin with." This caught her attention. Ever since her arrival back to Nippon the skies had always been covered in the thick black clouds she'd seen on the first day. Ammy whined at the crying girl in her arms prompting her to continue. Lika nodded once in understanding then went on. "I first noticed them after we brought you back to the village. I didn't want to make everybody worry, but they feel heavy, wrong, like something is unnatural about them. You can feel it to can't you? That's why you reacted the way you did when you saw them." Ammy looked at the small girl with pain in her eyes knowing that a large of this was her fault. The next words out of the Lika's mouth sent a chill throughout Ammy's body. "Their spreading too. It's not just here they're all over Nippon."

AN: Well this is officially the longest chapter yet and really only took me a day to write. I'd forgotten how much I liked writing until I started and promise to never leave this story for two years again. So on the plus side I've started the fifth chapter and will keep going from there. As always let me know what you think. Thanks!


End file.
